Teaching Our Children About God

Many people are finding it difficult to exercise their faith specially now with all the health regulations that were put in place to help manage the spread of Covid-19. Many churches were closed, some were able to make the transition to the virtual world but we still don’t feel like is quite right or enough.

Prior to the health crisis we would take them to a religious school where they would learn about God’s precepts and yes, we would have to supplement that with Sunday school or some other resources at home but many of us were relying on the schools not only for their academic education but also for their religious education. Having to take on the responsibility to do it ourselves is overwhelming, though as many agree, teaching children real life skills and teaching them the Word of God is really the parent’s primary responsibility.

We all want our children to succeed, and there will be times that we or they will feel they can’t do it but we need to help them realize their potential and all the possibilities this generation has when they’re empowered by God and by their parents who believe in them. I recall a moment when my own child was struggling with this - we sat down together, read a passage from Scripture, and talked about how it applied to their life, and it was amazing to see the light bulb go off in their head as they began to understand the relevance of God's teachings to their everyday experiences. For instance, when they were trying to decide whether to invite a new student to play with them at recess, we looked at Matthew 7:12, which reminds us to treat others the way we want to be treated, and it helped them make a decision that reflected God's love. Similarly, when we were planning a family volunteer day, we discussed Proverbs 19:17, which teaches us that helping those in need is like lending to the Lord, and this inspired my child to take initiative in serving others, demonstrating a growing understanding of God's heart for the vulnerable.

With that said, parents have to take on the responsibility to not only to help their children with their online learning but also to guide them in their spiritual growth, and for many of us that can be a challenge.

To make it easier for them specially the young ones, you can find creative ways to teach them like utilizing music, there are a variety of musicians that have great collections of scripture songs for kids, we can read to them or have them read to us, we can give them some alone time to study the Bible and encourage them to read it on their own as they get older. It doesn’t really matter which method you use as long as you are doing it. 

A great number of parents think they don’t have enough Bible knowledge to teach their children, but the truth is that there is no better teacher than the parents themselves. God gave us everything we need to nurture our children's faith, he would never have given us this responsibility if he didn’t think we could handle it, so, don’t be afraid, you can help your children develop a deep understanding of His teachings!

Needless to say, instilling in our children a love for God and His commandments is essential if we want them to live a life that honors Him.